


Moonlight

by UbiquitousCorvids



Category: Loki - Fandom, Loki laufeyson - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Thor - Fandom
Genre: Brother relationship, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Childhood, Friendship, Loki - Freeform, Magic, Marvel - Freeform, Post-Thor: The Dark World, Thor - Freeform, Thor Odinson - Freeform, Thor: Ragnarok (2017), loki laufeyson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UbiquitousCorvids/pseuds/UbiquitousCorvids
Summary: Loki has always known Thor thought the world of him.





	Moonlight

Loki could remember a time before modern humanity, a time when Midgardians still worked under the sun and prayed in cold moonlight. Whispering the names of his family and friends, himself even, pleading for protection, for love, good harvest, for celebration. These times were marked not only by a beautiful period of simplicity on earth, but also by the less trying times of his adolescence. Truth be told, Loki preferred those times above any others, though he would be the last to admit it. 

Though, he could say with a sliver of truth, that these past few weeks spent with his brother had been...interesting. Not necessarily bad, actually better than being stuck in a cage or biding his time on Sakaar, that was for certain. Arriving to Earth after Asgard’s destruction, however, made his stomach turn, but he fought to bury the feeling, much like everything else.

Except he couldn’t bury this. 

This longing, this bittersweet memory that kept curling around the edges of his brain, threatened to break his calm demeanor every chance it had. The more time spent on Midgard, especially in close quarters with Thor in the small sanctuary they shared, the more Loki’s memories became stronger.

The hour was late, pale moonlight gently streaming through the palace windows and onto two small figures wrapped in blankets. Loki stared coolly out the window, matching his breath silently to his brother’s sleeping form. Deep inside his chest, he felt his magic stirring and clenched his eyes shut. Everyday gentle whispers of ancient tales and stories untold became louder and louder in his head, pulsing and transforming like a running river. Mother had said his magic was strong and he would learn to listen to it’s language, but he was wary. He didn’t like the grip it seemed to have on his core. Was it a part of him? Or something foreign and ancient of to which he was a slave?

~*~

“Loki?” 

Thor’s quiet voice broke his reverie and he turned to look at his brother. 

“Hmm?” Loki hummed quietly. 

“What scares you?”

The air seemed to shift and become colder as Loki narrowed his eyes and turned away from his brother.

“I’m not scared, I simply can’t sleep.”

Thor was quiet for a moment, contemplating. “Sometimes, I become scared too.”  
Loki stilled, waiting.

“Sometimes... I am scared of what lies beyond Asgard.”

Loki furrowed his brow and slowly turned back to Thor. “What do you mean? You love adventure.”

“I do, but...sometimes I don’t know if I will grow to be strong enough for when it really counts.”

Loki scoffed at his brother. “Of course you will.”

Thor’s face scrunched in a small smile. “What I mean to say is...it is okay to be fearful of what you don’t understand. At least, that is what father tells me.”

Loki shook his head and quietly whispered, “Mother says the same.”

Silence filled the air for so long Loki was sure Thor had fallen back asleep. Just as he went to look back out the window, Thor spoke again. 

“Your magic is special. And I do not think you should be afraid of it.”

~*~

Although Loki could forget about a lot of things, that night was not one of them. Nor could he forget the words Thor had spoken only weeks ago. Loki, I thought the world of you. Thought. Past tense? Although Thor could infuriate him to no end, the thought of his brother’s indifference bothered him more than he cared to admit. Thor had always been there, ever supportive, but also ever in competition. Because that was the point of brothers right? Even now, sitting at the dinner table that seemed dwarfed in comparison to Thor, he still felt the urge to sneer and scoff at his own brother.

“Loki?”

Loki turned, only half acknowledging Thor’s presence. It wasn’t as bothersome as it used to be. Had he become soft? He scoffed at himself.

“What plagues you brother?”

“Only my own thoughts.”

Thor laughed quietly and shook his head. “When have your thoughts ever not?” He meant it as a gesture of goodwill, but Loki bristled all the same. This familiarity, this sense of rapport, where had it come from? Of course, in childhood they had remained strong with a bond that only came naturally, but life was life and both brothers had respectively chosen their own pathways. 

“Do you think…” Loki began, but quickly trailed off, regretting the few words spoken.

“Do I think what?”

Loki shook his head. “Forget it. It’s not important.”

Thor stared quietly for a moment before shrugging and taking a sip of his ale. “If you say.”

That only angered Loki more. “Is that all you have to say?”

“What would you like me to say?”

Loki sputtered, suddenly confused at his own words. What did he expect, truly? After all he had put Thor through, indifference was what he deserved. But...it wasn’t what he wanted. He blinked at the realization, sitting up straight and fighting the urge to bury the feeling as deep as it could go. He didn’t want Thor’s indifference, he wanted Thor’s...Thor’s what? Respect? Friendship? 

This was hard for him. Relating, developing relationships. He would rather ostracize himself than deal with the heartache that came with…

“I’m sorry.”

Thor choked on his drink, coughing until he could muster a few words from his throat. “Loki, what-”

“I said I’m sorry. Now forget it,” Loki barked, standing to leave the room. 

“Loki-” Thor called after his figure as it disappeared into the hallway. 

~*~

Pale moonlight drifted through the warped glass window, much like it had on that precious night so long ago. And it was precious wasn’t it? In that quiet moment in time, his brother had leant out his heart and revealed his own fears to quell Loki’s. 

He sat in the window seat in the front room, his arm resting against his knee as he pondered the memory. The night was filled with a chill promising winter, one that he readily welcomed. Thor hadn’t come after him and truth be told, he was relieved. Loki had never been one to be impulsive, but apologizing certainly broke the record. Apologizing for what exactly? For Asgard, for New York, for Odin? He couldn’t exactly say sorry for things that he didn’t regret. So what then? 

“I’m sorry for your indifference,” he spoke softly to himself. 

Loki’s head turned quickly at the sound of Thor clearing his throat. Had he been standing there the whole time? His eyes narrowed with a scowl. “I’m not in the mood, brother.”

“I didn’t come here to fight, Loki.”

The two were quiet, both gazing out the window at the bare branches that scratched at the bubbled glass. Neither was sure where to begin. How could you come back from so many scars? Dark clouds drifted over the moon, shrouding the two momentarily in darkness. Loki was the first to speak, whispering so softly Thor almost missed it. 

“Do you still fear what is beyond Asgard?”

The thunder God shifted his weight, furrowing his brows as he too remembered that quiet night so many year ago. He chose his response carefully. 

“Do you still fear yourself?”

Loki gave no response, looking back out the window at the pale moon. Thor studied his profile before mirroring his brother’s action and shaking his head. 

How curious, he thought, that the trickster is only good at deceiving himself.


End file.
